


Revelations

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:23:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2426927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The bubble burst and Hotch was quickly falling back to Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> I need a name for this universe, which I didn’t know I would be writing in again. Hmm, any ideas? I think I like **Fate and Other**   **Circumstances**. What do you think? Anyhoo, mostly it’s to distinguish a different Hotch/Prentiss than the one I usually write about.

Hotch came in late on Thursday evening. He walked into the living room and looked at Emily. She was reading a book, looked quite comfortable on his couch and he could not help but smile. He knew it probably wasn’t the best idea to get used to her being there but her company, her presence, was lovely.

 

“Hey there.”

 

He saw Emily jump a bit but when she looked at him, she was smiling. She stuck a bookmark in her book.

 

“You have very soft footfalls.” She said. “I never hear you coming.”

 

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure yet.”

 

“How was your day?” Hotch asked, still smiling. “I hope you're feeling better.”

 

That morning Emily felt both queasy and lightheaded. That was the reason she was staying with Hotch in the first place. She was almost seven months pregnant and the heat of August was nearly unbearable. Too many times, she had been alone in her condo and felt as if she would pass out. She told Hotch about it and he insisted that she stay with him until the weather turned cooler.

 

That morning he put her back to bed despite loud protestations. She wasn’t going anywhere and if he could have, he would have stayed home with her. Instead, he just called every few hours to make sure she was alright. Emily insisted that she was but on his last phone call, around 6:30, she thanked him for looking out for her.

 

_“That’s what friends do.” Hotch replied._

 

_“You’ve gone above and beyond friendship.”_

 

_“Not by my definition. Have you eaten dinner?”_

 

_“I'm making some chicken now…there will be enough for you too.”_

 

_“Thanks. I'm going to be late.”_

 

_“We’re starting to sound like an old married couple, Hotch.” Emily laughed._

 

_“Yeah. OK honey, I have to get back to this paperwork.” He laughed too. “If you need anything...”_

 

_“I know, I know. Go back to work.”_

 

_“Bye Em.”_

 

“My day was good. You were right, you know, I really did need to relax. Don’t get used to that, the you being right thing.” She smiled.

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it. What are you reading?”

 

“Oh, I found it on your bookshelf.  _The Bishop and the Missing L Train_ …I am hooked. I'm actually close to the end. When I wasn’t sleeping today, I was tearing through this. I think I have a crush on a little pudgy priest.”

 

Hotch grinned. He sat on the edge of the couch, placing both hands on her expanding belly. Emily wore a tank top so her belly really looked big. She put one hand over his.

 

“And you're sure you're OK?”

 

“I'm fine, Hotch, really. I want to go in tomorrow; that paperwork on my desk will not finish itself. I don’t want my Unit Chief to get on me about not getting my work done.”

 

“Alright. If you're alright in the morning I won't argue.”

 

“Thanks. There is something for you in the kitchen if you're hungry.”

 

Hotch nodded but he didn’t move. He sat there with his hands on her and her hands on his. Dante, as they called the baby, was moving up a storm inside of his mother and it fascinated Hotch. He was the same way when Haley was pregnant with Jack. It amazed him that it didn’t bother Emily, all that movement, but perhaps she was used to it.

 

“Its amazing.” he whispered.

 

“What?”

 

“This life growing inside of you. I find I'm attached to her already.”

 

“You always say her, what if it’s a boy.”

 

“A healthy baby is all that matters. I guess I say her because you're a girl so it’s easier.”

 

“Thanks for recognizing that.”

 

She laughed and Hotch felt the overwhelming urge to kiss her. It was not the first time but it was enough to get him off the couch. He practically jumped up, without a word, and went off to the kitchen to busy himself with making something to eat. He was hungry. He found the hungrier Emily was so was he. He did his best to stay away from the snacks and ran an extra mile every time he was on the treadmill.

 

“Hotch?”

 

“Hmm?” he looked at her standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She looked so relaxed in her lounge pants and tank top. A clip held up her long raven hair; her skin glowed from the summer and her pregnancy. Damn, she was just beautiful. He knew she was beautiful before but now it was even more so.

 

“I need to talk to you about something. I um…”

 

“You can talk to me about anything.”

 

“I don’t think so.” Emily shook her head, laughing a bit. “This is hard.”

 

“What is it, Em?”

 

“We’re friends, right? I mean, I never really thought I would feel so close to you and want to share this. I never thought I would have to share this.”

 

“Do you want to sit down?” he asked.

 

“I just need to blurt it out. I need to tell you…Jason is the baby’s father.”

 

“Jason? Oh my God, Jason.”

 

“I…” Emily looked down at her feet. Well, not actually her feet, as they were hard to see these days. She looked down at the spotless linoleum of his kitchen floor and wished it would open and take her to another place. She could feel his eyes on her. “Please say something.”

 

“How long?”

 

“A while. The night we got home from Guantanamo Bay my car broke down and he offered me a ride. We knew each other in the past; he was one of my instructors at the Academy. He suggested dinner to catch up, one thing led to another…”

 

“I thought…his birthday…but thought I was overreacting.”

 

“You weren’t overreacting.” Emily replied.

 

“Oh my God.” He ran his hands over his face.

 

“I didn’t…I never expected to get pregnant. I never expected him to just leave like that.”

 

“He left you.”

 

“He left all of us.”

 

“Oh my God.”

 

Emily wanted him to stop saying that. While a part of her never wanted him to know, they were getting closer. The longer she kept it from him the worse she felt. Hotch had been so good to her and Emily did not want to hide things from him. Especially not something like this.

 

“Hotch…”

 

“You and Jason were lovers?” he couldn’t help asking the question.

 

“Maybe I should go now. I mean, I've been taking up space here and I feel better so I should go home.”

 

“Its late and its hot and I don’t want you to go. I just…”

 

“I need to get out of here. I think we probably need a little space between us right now.”

 

“Yeah, but…”

 

Hotch had no idea what to say. That little person growing inside of her was the child of Jason Gideon. The baby that he thought about cradling in his arms and watching as Emily fed and changed diapers. To assume she would invite him into such personal moments was silly. He could not stop the fantasies, which is what his rational mind called them. He, Emily and the baby…a family. It was not his family though; apparently, it was Jason Gideon's. His family was gone and he was alone. The bubble burst and Hotch was quickly falling back to Earth.

 

Emily walked back into the living room, grabbing her cell phone from the table. Hotch wanted to follow, reassure her, but his feet were stuck to the ground. He was sad, angry, and felt a bit nauseous. None of that was Emily’s fault but if he ever took it out on her he would not forgive himself.

 

“Hi Penelope, its Emily.”

 

“Hey Peaches, how ya feelin?”

 

“Better, thanks. Look, I know it’s late but I am in a mood. You want to go for a drive?”

 

“Sure. Are you alright?”

 

“No.” Emily held back her tears. “I mean, the baby’s fine, I just…I need a milkshake and to be somewhere where no one knows my name.”

 

“I know your name, Emily Prentiss, and I am on my way. There are a million random fast food places along the corridor; one of them is calling to us.”

 

“You are the best.”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

 

“I'm at Hotch’s,” Emily replied almost laughing. “You can pick me up there.”

 

“I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

 

Emily thanked her and hung up the phone. No questions asked; that’s why she called Garcia. She was much more than a tech analyst from heaven and the oracle of Quantico. She was the friend who would never leave you in the trenches. Emily didn’t know what she was giving up to drive her around and listen to her lament but to Garcia it was not as important as a friend in need was. She never had people in her life like her teammates and it was something she was still getting used to.

 

She got up from the couch and went into the guest bedroom where she had been staying for the past two weeks. In the drawer, Emily grabbed a pair of her pregnant girl jeans, sliding out of her lounge pants. Hotch walked in just then, covering his eyes when he saw her panties.

 

“Oh my God, I am so sorry.”

 

“It’s OK. Uncover your eyes, Hotch.”

 

“No, you deserve your privacy.”

 

Emily just shrugged, putting the jeans on.

 

“Garcia is going to come and pick me up. We will go for a nice drive and get some milkshakes. I think it’s a good idea for the two of us to get some space. You’ve been really good to me and I just dropped a bombshell on you.”

 

“I appreciate your honesty.” It was all he knew to say.

 

It wasn’t until Emily brushed past him and out of the door that Hotch realized she was dressed. He didn’t say anything else, going into his bedroom as she waited in the living room for Garcia. He didn’t want her to go…he was afraid she would never come back. Still he did need some space. He needed time to wrap his mind around the fact that she and Jason were lovers. 

 

She was pregnant with his child and he was God knows where. Maybe she loved him; perhaps they talked about starting a family together. No wonder she felt so upside down by things happening to her. She never expected to be alone. No one was ever going to be able to replace Jason in her heart. 

 

Wait a minute, what if it wasn’t like that at all. What if it was a casual thing? Nothing against Emily or Jason but the job was stressful and it would not be the first time that teammates had an affair. Perhaps the last thing she expected from a fling was to get pregnant. Maybe she wasn’t surprised at all that he disappeared, if they were intimate Emily may have been more privy than anyone else to his impending breakdown.

 

He had far more questions than answers right now. The thought of asking Emily for more information was fleeting. She was going through enough. Hotch wasn’t sure of anything anymore but he knew that she trusted him. She had to if she told him the truth. The last thing he needed to do was sit her down under the hot lights and interrogate her. He would have to wait, see if she would tell him anything else. If she did not he would live with what he knew and get on with it.

 

***

 

“Are you asleep?”

 

“I wish.” Hotch muttered. He turned on the lamp beside his bed, squinting against the light. “How long have you been back?”

 

“About 20 minutes. I think I ate the biggest ice cream sundae allowed by mankind tonight. I hope Dante doesn’t get mad at me later.”

 

“Do you feel better?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“What can I do?”

 

“Hold me, Hotch.”

 

“Come to bed.” He said it so easily; as if the bed was something they always shared. It wasn’t, Emily had been in the guest room. Nothing ever happened between them, they were just friends. In fact, Hotch was sure that his feelings were only his own. It didn’t matter, if she wanted to be held he would hold her. He would never let go.

 

He pulled back the sheet and Emily climbed into the cool of his bed. Hotch turned off the lights and they spooned in the dark. Oh my God, she was in bed with Hotch. How many times had she fantasized about this in the past month? In her fantasies she was not the size of a hippo and the boxers Hotch now wore were somewhere on the floor. He slid his arm around her belly; Emily slid her fingers between his. She exhaled.

 

“Are we going to be alright?” she whispered. 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hotch…”

 

“I love you Emily, this won't change that.”

 

“What?” she turned around in the dark, looking at him. He looked sheepish, almost scared. Emily took his face in her hands. “Aaron,”

 

“I love you, Emily Prentiss. You are strong, beautiful, funny, amazing…how could I not? When you walked out I was afraid that you wouldn’t come back and all night I have been figuring out how to tell you what I feel without it seeming like something it wasn’t.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“I don't know. I don’t run around declaring my love for many people, so I don’t know. I don’t want to compete with Jason, I am here and he is not. But if you love him…”

 

“You are so…you always surprise me. Nothing surprises me anymore or at least I thought it didn’t. From the beginning you have been a solid rock in a very shaky stream.” She pulled him close, kissing him. “I don’t want words right now. Words can lie.”

 

“I will never lie to you.”

 

“I know. I just want to feel.”

 

“Tell me what you want to feel.”

 

“You, Hotch. I want to feel you. All I was thinking about while I was out tonight was you. You were waiting at home for me, God, I thought about you waiting at home for me.”

 

Their kisses intensified, Hotch smiled to himself thinking of the baby between them keeping them from getting too close. He laid Emily on her back, staying at her side as he pulled the tee shirt over her head. He wanted to see her skin, smell it, and stroke it. Emily moaned softly and ran her fingers through his hair and down the nape of his neck.

 

“I want you so badly.” He murmured into her ear, feeling her half-naked body shiver against his. His hands moved down to cup her round breasts, heavy against his palms. Hotch squeezed gently and smiled when Emily’s back arched.

 

“Me too,” Emily whimpered as his thumbs brushed her nipples. She was so sensitive, could already feel her body reacting. It wasn’t as if it had been a long time since she had been aroused but to be with him…it was everything she wanted. “Make love to me Hotch.”

 

“Oh God,” he had to think for a minute. She was pregnant so he didn’t want to put her in a position that would be uncomfortable. He did not like the idea of spooning, he wanted to see her face, watch her eyes, and have her gaze pull him under.

 

Moving her panties down her legs, Hotch shrugged out of his boxers and got up on his knees. Haley had always been comfortable in this position…and that was the last time he ever wanted to think about his ex-wife when he was with Emily.

 

“Hotch…” she gasped his name when he slid inside her for the first time. 

 

Bracing his arms on either side of her, Hotch began to move. He wanted to be gentle and not lose control. It was difficult and the sounds of her ecstasy only made it more so. Emily stroked his face as he bent down to taste her lips.

 

“I love you, Hotch. I love you so much.”

 

“Oh baby, me too. Me too, me too, oh God.”

 

Neither one of them could hold on long and soon, Hotch’s hand gently massaging her clit, they were both sailing toward the most intense climax. Emily gripped his hips and cried out his name as they trembled together. Hotch finally let go once he was sure she was satisfied. Drained, he fell over on the mattress, pulling her into his arms.

 

“Did I hurt you?” he asked.

 

“Of course not.” she kissed him. “Mmm, Aaron.”

 

“I love you.”

 

Emily curled her body against his and Hotch held on tight. He didn’t want the morning light to come; he wanted the night to last forever. He wanted her in his arms; he wanted to feel the child growing inside her against his ribs. Her hands stroking his belly made him hot all over again but Hotch knew she had taken enough for now. He could wait, he would wait; she was worth waiting for. She was worth everything.

 

***

                                                                                                                           


End file.
